1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the field of telematics and pertains particularly to methods and apparatus for determining and managing driver identities relative to vehicle operation through a process of telematics.
2. Discussion of the State of the Art
In the field of telematics, data is collected about vehicle usage and driver behavior while the driver is operating a vehicle in the field. An insurance company or other authorized agent may receive and analyze data collected through telematics. Actual data about vehicle operation, driving conditions, and behavioral data about the driver enable the company to get a more accurate picture of driving behavior for risk determination, for example, which is critical in setting appropriate rates for insuring drivers accordingly.
Current data collection systems often require a hardware device to be installed within a targeted vehicle. The hardware may transmit data over data networks like cellular phone networks. One potential drawback of this technique is that hardware and network charges to implement this solution are expensive. Moreover, the approach is not flexible relative to the consumer input or direction of the process. Privacy concerns among consumers have arisen in response to these in-vehicle hardware solutions.
The present inventor is aware of a system for analyzing sensor data output from a mobile communications appliance to adjust insurance premiums for consumers. The system includes an Internet-connected server; and software executing on the server from a non-transitory physical medium, the software providing a first function for collecting raw data from the mobile communications appliance, a second function for analyzing the raw data in light of results of previous data analyses, and a third function for adjusting a standing insurance premium rate associated with the mobile communications appliance. It has occurred to the inventors, that in many cases of vehicle operation or ownership, there may be more than one authorized driver that might share overall use or utility of the vehicle. In such circumstances, it may be important to be able to easily identify an authorized driver and to tell that driver apart from another authorized driver and from any unauthorized drivers that might gain access to and operate the vehicle.
Therefore, what is clearly needed in the art is a system for developing an identification signature for a vehicle operator authorized to access and operate a certain vehicle based on data collected while the operator operated the vehicle.